Subscribe

About

He focuses on leadership and communications for social change, as well as approaches that may help humanity face climate-induced disruption.

A graduate of the University of Cambridge, he had twenty years of experience in sustainable business and finance, as a researcher, educator, facilitator, advisor, & entrepreneur, having lived & worked in six countries. Clients for his strategy development included international corporations, UN agencies and international NGOs. The World Economic Forum (WEF) recognised Professor Bendell as a Young Global Leader for his work on sustainable business alliances. With over 100 publications, including four books and five UN reports, he regularly appeared in international media on topics of sustainable business and finance, as well as currency innovation. His TEDx talk is the most watched online speech on complementary currencies. In 2012 Professor Bendell co-authored the WEF report on the Sharing Economy. Previously he helped create innovative alliances, including the Marine Stewardship Council, to endorse sustainable fisheries and The Finance Innovation Lab, to promote sustainable finance. In 2007 he wrote a report for WWF on the responsibility of luxury brands, which appeared in over 50 newspapers and magazines worldwide, and inspired a number of entrepreneurs to create businesses in the luxury sector.

That bio is all past tense, as now Jem has moved into a new phase of work in light of the latest climate science.

Share this:

Like this:

51 Responses to “About”

Jem,
Just finished your “dossier”. Esp. liked the chapter on “New Regulations and Initiatives on NGO Acctability”. Have known may of the same people as you, incl’g Edwards, Zadek, Borell, Lisa, Malcolm McIntosh.

Skype is good. Which of your various past email addresses turned out to be reliable for you?

Is West Papua less deserving than Iraq to protection from slaughter and torture? Whom did you see shooting hostages, who started shooting as the hostages were approaching the special forces troops? I assume you do recall the military operation in Geselema. And what was the response to Kelly’s dreadful demand for the UN to return to West Papua or for foreign media.

Thanks Andrew. I was not in West Papua. I was told Daniel Start, and other reports, that two Indonesian hostages, Navy and Tessy, were killed by the OPM with machetes. Daniel said there was no shooting at the time when they ran away when Navy and Tessy were being killed. That is also in his book The Open Cage. However, separate to that incident there are other reports about an attack on a village by people pretending to be the red cross, by arriving in a white helicopter, and it was unclear who those people were (mercenaries or military), or who they were acting for. Is that the attack you are mentioning? Clearly the West Papuans are as deserving of rights and justice as Iraqis or anyone. If you are bringing attention to the current situation, as well as working for justice on what happened in the past, then I think thats important work. Id welcome links to the latest information as its not an issue I have followed in recent years.

Thanks for reply, it is over a decade since those reports and I could well have some wires cross. I’d have to admit some sensitivity, these people have shown so much more restraint than the Irish, Palestinians, than just about anyone you could name.

My area of research has the colonisation process 1935-1963 which is what you’ll find mostly documented at my information kit. These days there are several reasonably good sites, just google ‘west papua’.

How weird I seem to have a double-ganger. Anyway, yes Geselema is the village that was gunned down from the helicopter using the Red Cross flag, and there is no doubt that it was the Indonesian military that borrowed the Freeport helicopter for the impersonation of the IRC.

Behind the smoke & mirrors it now appears that it was a UN trusteeship agreement that the Kennedy administration drafted and Indonesia and the Netherlands signed in 1962. i.e. West Papua is the last remaining UN trust territory.

Sub: Consideration for The Agenda “Exploring further the goal of Globalization” to the next General Assembly Meeting.

I kindly request, the following, to be mentioned in the agenda of next General Assembly Meeting, just for the purpose of exploring further the goal of Globalization and to start healthy debates about various options to find the solution of climate change and bio diversity loss.

THE AGENDA.
Let UN very clearly define the Globalization, both in its General and Ideal form, keeping our Individual, National and Common interest of planet earth.
While doing so,

a) Let UN clarify the present definition of the Globalization being applied and list out the matters/fields to be covered under this definition.

b) Whether UN Prefers to accept and continue with the present idea of limited Globalization only or in future going to expand the Globalization as per its ideal definition to be defined as per the above agenda, by the UN.

c) Let UN justify the reasons of going, either for limited or ideal form of Globalization.

I believe, the idea of Globalization, so far being applied by UN is undefined. Anything needs to be defined first, to understand and implement in its most effective ways.

Hi Jem absolute loved yr TED talk I am so glad more & more people are talking about what money is. Thank you do much. Am sending yr talk off all over social media as I want people to ‘get’ the knowledge of what false enslavement we’ve been living under with debt as money. Tks for all the links to new forms of money. I dream of a world called Utopia where we are all supported by each other & we support the world instead of pillaging it for more growth. Jem, lovely to have found a lkindred spirit. Cheers Lisa x

[…] Dr. Jem Bendell, an award-winning authority on business-society relations, along with Anthony Kleanthous, Senior Policy Advisor on Sustainable Business and Economics at WWF-UK, together performed a study for the World Wildlife Fund United Kingdom (WWF-UK) called Deeper Luxury: Quality and Style when the World Matters, which was widely acknowledged to have inspired the luxury industry to increase efforts on social, environmental and ethical performance. The comprehensive study provides a vision and rational for a more sustainable luxury industry through a compelling business plan for a new type of luxury with deeper values presented in smarter methods of sourcing, manufacture, marketing, and distribution. The report presents a new luxury consumer, a new luxury marketplace (featuring industry challenges), the environmental and social performance of the ten largest, publicaly-traded luxury brand owning companies, and the important role of celebrity endorsements influencing consumers and therefore companies. Ranking of environmental, social, and governance performance and reputation of luxury corporate groups (L'Oreal, Heremes, LVMH, Coach, Tiffany & Co., Swatch, PPR, Richemont, Bulgari, and Tods) […]

Professor Bendell, I am Carolina, part of the committee for the 2015 Ecommerce conference: http://lbsecommerceconference.co.uk/ . We would like to know if there’s any interest in attending to the conference, sincer we are willing to give you a complimentary ticket. Please, contact me for more information.

I’ve just had a quick read of your 28th Sept article “Future lines of debate and action on climate”. With all due respect, may I ask where and to what level you studied any science subjects that are relevant to the Catastrophic Anthropogenic Climate Change (CACC) because I get the impression that you may not have studied any relevant science subject beyond GCE/GCSE (or whatever it is called these days).

Surely you could have made reference to someone more relevant than actor Leonardo DiCaprio as support for your scare-monte ring rant.

There has been NO global warming for 18 years now, a “hiatus” that was NOT projected by the IPCC.

I studied oceanography with Dr Tom Spencer at Cambridge University as part of my georgraphy BA, in 1992-1995, and climate change was a key topic. But I dont claim to be a scientist. As a sociologist I find the evolution of climate scepticism interesting. As a person I find that scepticism tragic as people with a useful critical approach waste their and others time on shoddy scepticism, and ultimately I now find it rather boring.

Perhaps you’d like to enlighten us on what you mean by shoddy climate scepticism and give some examples of scientists who in your humble opinion are guilty of such. I have been privy to numerous well-considered exchanges involving well-qualified sceptics of the Catastrophic Anthropogenic Climate Change (CACC) hypothesis, such as Professors Judith Curry, Robert G Brown, John Nichil, Drs Jack Barrett, Roy Spencer, Jinan Cao, etc. etc. etc. In my opinion None of these could be accused of indulging in shoddy climate scepticism.

I wonder if the boredom that you feel derives from a lack of understanding of the underlying scientific principles.

You just listed a bunch of people funded by the oil industry. If you link to a peer reviewed paper in a scientific journal that seeks to demonstrate the CACC arguments are of no weight at all, and then Id find it interesting.

Chrissaid

It appears that sea temperatures have been rising and taking up some of the surface heat rises. I think that largely the issue is about our use of resources full stop. All signs are that we are close to and beyond peak soil nutrients, flora and fauna, most metals, diversity, old growth forrest, sea life etc. Our system is using the sea and air as a dump for our effluent. We are in desperate need of some humility.

[…] Pound and celebrating the launch of the Guild of Independent Currencies. Leander Bindewald and Jem Bendell both presented, and Matthew Slater and I also each got up to say a few words. We all focused on […]

Jingsaid

I am a MSc student from University of Bristol. Besides, I work in the top academy of China, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and have always been working for the building of a better financial system and monetary transformation in China.

I look through your articles on wordpress and find excitedly that we share a lot of commons in belief and practice!! For example, our team in China have launched the financial lab in Chinese universities in order to do an experiment of new real economy system.

In fact, during the past 20 years of my supervisor, he also encountered many many difficulties from the misunderstanding of the mass or even elite in China about the significant implications on the problematic monetary system. The financial crises and the Internet hit the old world and bring the human society to an new ear. It is the prime time for us in the different part of the earth to join and put efforts together!

Right now, I am living in London and looking for strategical partners in UK and I think we can have a good talk when you are convenient. I really cannot write all things done in this short email and I am looking forward to your response.

Thank you, I’ve recently been looking for info
approximately this topic for a long time and yours is the greatest I
have came upon till now. However, what about the bottom line?
Are you positive about the supply?

[…] Pound and celebrating the launch of the Guild of Independent Currencies. Leander Bindewald and Jem Bendell both presented, and Matthew Slater and I also each got up to say a few words. We all focused on […]

Corinne CHORON CLAYETTEsaid

Supply Chain professional and now enrolled into an EMBA programme, I am now working on a new business model related to CSR. I came along some of your publications on the collaboration between NGO’s and corporations. I would welcome your expertise and view on my work.
I hope we could exchange in near future.
Corinne

Dear Jem
Whilst your notes on Engaging the Climate Tradgedy are valid. I have a number of questions:
1 – Have you made strenuous efforts to reach indigenous peoples, whom are not just Native Americans nor Aborogines? One is actually asking these questions.
2 – Climate DESTRUCTION, systematically endorsed over centuries for monetary profit by a select group of individuals that require complete adherence to group values for aspiring members. The climate has always changed over eons. What our great grandchildren will bear is wanton, rapacious destruction driven by selfishness, greed and apathy.
3- Have these notes been actually placed in the hands of Caroline Lucas MP, Jonathan Barclay, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Diane Abbott MP, Dame Shirley Williams, disseminated to every Environmental/Sustainabilty Officer in local councils?
4 – Although you are clear about the negative impacts of neo-liberalism your blog and “achievements” rely, rather heavily in my opinion, on the tropes of individualisation, patriarchy, capitalism, neo-liberal approaches and systems and the continued nurturing thereof of their enclaves by complicity masked as “you need to be in the system to change it”. Why?
5 – Totnes is not, was not and never will be the seat of radical artists you believe it to be. It is, was and forever, probably, will be an entrenched enclave of middle-class aspiration to be “real”. We don’t and won’t ever choose to live there. Although the occasional visit to see what you’re “dallying” with is mildly diverting. Why are you wilfully misrepresenting the actuality of Totnes?
6 – Have you engaged grass roots artists, activists, communities? At all?
Please, do not “academic speak” me in your answers. I resigned from my lectureship in 1996 because, amongst other reasons, I refused to accept 70% as a First Class Honours for the degree I was co-writing and saw the path of knowledge commodification HE was walking down. One is not an expert when one has not even achieved getting three quarters of ones specialist knowledge correct.
I trust these questions will be received and answered as rigourously as the spirit and intellect in which they are asked.
yours sincerely
Karen Lawrence

Youre so awesome, man! I cant believe I missed this blog for so long. Its just great stuff all round. Your design, man…too amazing! I cant wait to read what youve got next. I love everything that youre saying and want more, more, MORE! Keep this up, man! Its just too good.

There is a comprehensive early childhood curriculum that is rooted in ideas of deep learning, complex problem solving and, perhaps, deep adaptation. If the future requires children who will be equipped to rebuild society, I would look to Anji China for one powerul model of systems change.

Coreysaid

Read the Deep adaptation paper…. I was left with a “meh” impression. All I can say is, you really have no idea do you? Nor does anyone. OUR planet has been heating and cooling without us for many many years. I suspect your scare tactics to do more harm than a warming (albeit temporary one)climate.

Chrissaid

I think he has taken the best of scientific evidence from the most well researched people in the world. In suspect I will trust his view more than your’s Corey. If you want to turn a blind eye and talk about changes that have happened over tens of thousands of years and are well researched and documented as to why and ignore this specific very fast change then I think you maybe have your head in the sand and that is worrying as it is my kids and grandchildren and friends children that will suffer

Jim Lovingsaid

Dr. Bendell – I just finished your Deep Adaptation white paper this morning. Thank you so much for writing it. I learned of your paper from Terry Patten in a talk he gave at Google – you can view it here. https://www.terrypatten.com/ I met him and others 15 years ago at an “Integral Life Practice” workshop.

The information in your paper was not completely new to me, as I have been following Guy McPherson’s (referenced in your paper) “Nature Bats Last” blog for a while, but this paper does provide me with the necessary “jolt” to re-energize me and to reflect on how I might best engage in the world moving forward.

In your paper, you reference the work of J Lear, “Radical Hope: Ethics in the Face of Cultural Devastation” (which I am unfamiliar with) and quote from it:

Lear (2008) looked at what he calls the “blind
spot” of any culture: the inability to conceive of its own destruction and possible extinction. He explored the role of forms of hope that involved neither denial or blind optimism. “What makes this hope radical, is that it is directed toward a future goodness that transcends the current ability to understand what it is.”

In your paper, you say you are now focusing your time on “leadership and communication.” I think this is what many should be doing, and for that, I commend you. I will quote Guy McPherson here: “Only Love remains, pursue a life of passion and purpose.”